If you google ‘Garden Design App’ a few options turn up. One for the I-Pad offers to help you create your perfect garden, and tells us it is easy to use. It offers choices of trees, plants, pavings, lawns… oh gosh, everything… but never once mentions logistical issues like soil amplitude, seasonal dynamics, companion plants or the effect of wind and rain on plant growth. That doesn’t mean it isn’t good, but what a ‘Garden Design App’ cannot do is the human work needed to create a garden. By human work, we mean creating atmosphere. Inspiring the owner. Giving confidence to people …

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You decide you need to sort out the garden, so call in a designer. You tell them what you want, what you like and they (if they’re good) help you discover possibilities you never knew existed. You get excited (if not, get another designer!) and you proceed with transforming your outdoors into something amazing. You stand on your new terrace, next to your new pond, looking out over your immaculate new lawn, feel the soft feathery leaf of the newly planted Mexican Feather Grass and sniff deeply the perfume of the roses from your new rose garden. Apples, plums and …

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In several categories – see which one you think he would like the most and get it delivered by the weekend! All are ‘dad gift cliches’ until the end… then we give you a few (we hope) quirky bits to buy… 1) BBQ 2) Bathroom shizzle (you know, grooming and what not…) 3) Tools and Practical Bits 4) Software and gadgets (Good deal on this one at time of posting!) 5) Quirky (we hope… if you can think of something better, please send us an email and we’ll stick it up here!) (Okay, that one isn’t for Dad… unless he’s had a drink …

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